Bravo, Ramdin lead Knight Riders past Patriots

Dwayne Bravo ensured the ‘Champion’ dance phenomenon made it’s way through south Florida on Sunday afternoon, taking four wickets to set up a resounding eight-wicket win for Trinbago Knight Riders over St Kitts & Nevis Patriots in Lauderhill.

The Knight Riders captain removed Evin Lewis at gully and yorked Faf du Plessis in the fourth over before returning at the death to bowl Shamarh Brooks and take a skier off his own bowling to get Devon Thomas and restrict Patriots to 137 for 6, a total chased down with three overs to spare.

Kieran Powell had gotten the Patriots off to an aggressive start, making 23 off 17 balls with an array of classy shots over the off side but Bravo made inroads at the opposite end to pull Knight Riders back in the Powerplay. Anton Devcich, who opened with spin opposite Bravo, then took an athletic one-handed return catch from a blitzing Powell drive to make it 25 for 3 in the fifth and from there Patriots struggled to rebuild.

Sunil Narine kept the pressure on, getting Jonathan Carter out stumped with the batsman dragging his foot fractionally out of the crease missing a slog, as part of a wicket-maiden 12th. Narine conceded only nine runs in his four overs but couldn’t remove Lendl Simmons, who finished unbeaten on 60 but received little support.

Hashim Amla fell cheaply at the start of the chase but fellow opener William Perkins put on 60 for the second wicket with Denesh Ramdin before falling to end the eighth over. Brendon McCullum’s horrid run in this season’s CPL showed signs of turning around as he struck three sixes in his unbeaten 43 off 28 balls, including a clean strike over the hill on the north side of the ground.

Ramdin top-scored with 52 not out and hit the winning single through cover. Knight Riders now await the Zouks in a playoff eliminator next Thursday in St Kitts. (www.cplt20.com)

Photo caption: Dwayne Bravo put on an entertaining display with the ball on Sunday in Florida (CPL/Sportsfile)